hypersonic
adjective
hy·per·son·ic
| \ ˌhī-pər-ˈsä-nik
\
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Definition of hypersonic
1
: of or relating to speed five or more times that of sound in air — compare sonic
2
: moving, capable of moving, or utilizing air currents that move at hypersonic speed
hypersonic wind tunnel
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Other Words from hypersonic
hypersonically
\ ˌhī-pər-ˈsä-ni-k(ə-)lē
\
adverb
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adverb
Examples of hypersonic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The performance of the space division was primarily attributed to government satellite programs, including an upgrade to the GPS satellites in space now, and government programs such as the hypersonic missile defense system. — Marco Santana, orlandosentinel.com, "Lockheed’s space division leads strong quarter as Orion capsule soars," 23 July 2019 The facility will develop and test hypersonic weapons, which incorporate the speed of a ballistic missile with the maneuverability of a cruise missile. — Andrew J. Tobias, cleveland.com, "Ohio Senate budget bill passes unanimously: Capitol Letter," 21 June 2019 The latest threats to carriers are hypersonic weapons and anti-ship ballistic missiles, particularly those being developed by Russia and China. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Why the Navy Won’t Retire the USS Truman Early," 1 May 2019 Most Read Business Stories These threats include stealth technology, fighters with better range, advanced missiles including hypersonic weapons, and missiles fired by enemy ships. — Jon Talton, The Seattle Times, "Boeing’s other problem: Much-needed Air Force tanker keeps hitting snafus," 12 Apr. 2019 This device, known as a hypersonic inflatable aerodynamic decelerator, or HIAD, drastically reduces the engine module’s speed on its return to Earth so that a parachute can be deployed and the engines can be caught by a helicopter. — Daniel Oberhaus, WIRED, "Catch Rockets With a Helicopter? Yep, That's the Plan," 15 Aug. 2019 To Russian military officials, one of the appeals of the new class of hypersonic and undersea nuclear weapons is that they are not prohibited by any existing treaties — giving them free run to test and deploy them. — David E. Sanger, New York Times, "U.S. Officials Suspect New Nuclear Missile in Explosion That Killed 7 Russians," 12 Aug. 2019 To Russian military officials, one of the appeals of the new class of hypersonic and undersea nuclear weapons is that they are not prohibited by any existing treaties, giving them free run to test and deploy them. — David E. Sanger, BostonGlobe.com, "Fatal explosion in Russia released radiation, giving United States pause," 12 Aug. 2019 Lockheed is the primary contractor for the Army’s hypersonic strike program. — Washington Post, "In conversations with investors, defense firms double down on hypersonic weapons," 3 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hypersonic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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